


Save Scumming

by astro_inky



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adult Frisk (Undertale), Adventure, Angst, Comedy, Eventual Romance, Female Chara (Undertale), Friendship, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Multi, Nonbinary Frisk (Undertale), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Teenage Chara (Undertale)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:08:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25603336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/astro_inky/pseuds/astro_inky
Summary: Frisk has worked hard to have a good life in Ebott Town after escaping New York City and their Mother’s ever watchful and cruel eye. They’ve made friends and a cozy new start. For two years they’ve been slowly building up their mental health. Key word: slowly.After a recommendation from a friend, they decide it’s a great idea to climb a mountain blocked off by a mysterious organization that resides at the town’s outskirts. All they wanted was a nice view of the sky for their astronomy-loving brain to soak up.Frisk ends up getting more than they bargained for after following a ghost into a hole.
Relationships: Frisk (Undertale) & Chara (Undertale), Frisk (Undertale) & Original Character(s), Frisk (Undertale) & Toriel (Undertale), Frisk (Undertale)/Sans (Undertale), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added
Comments: 6
Kudos: 9





	1. Into the Unknown

**Author's Note:**

> Hello dear readers. You can call me Astro.
> 
> I’ve tried writing long-fics for many fandoms so many times. But I honestly really like how this one is going so far. I have a couple chapters written out. Idk how updates will be because I have work and school for me starts in about two weeks. Also, my mental health can prevent me from feeling motivated to write at times.
> 
> Any feedback at all is amazing! Please give your opinions, theories, and general reactions in the comments. (Also, if you spot any spelling/grammar errors, please let me know.)
> 
> I’ve had this idea for awhile and it goes pretty long. I will be posting character design sketched (mostly Frisk and OC’s) on my Instagram so ill leave a link when that happens.
> 
> Tags will be updated as the story goes on. Please note that this is a Frans fan fiction. No interactions happen for a couple of chapters, I only put them in the tags to let people know that they will be the main couple. Though, this story is not focused primarily on romance.
> 
> Anyways, sorry for taking up your time. Please enjoy :)
> 
> -Chapter Title Reference: Into the Unknown performed by Idina Menzel

Ebott Town was a small and cozy place that dwelled in Colorado, almost invisible to the eye on any map. On some older maps, it’s not even an existing place, despite being one of the oldest places in the Northern hepisphere to have recorded civilization. However, despite it’s rich history, surrounded legends, and beautiful mountain scenery, it also has a very small population of over 10,000 residents. Many homes and apartments have been up for sale for a very long time due to more and more people growing bored of the simple mountain town and moving out to the bigger cities. 

For Frisk, it was the exact opposite. Two years ago, at only nineteen, they moved from the crowded New York City (Staten Island, to be specific) to quiet, little Ebott Town. And it was the best decision they had ever made. 

New York life was stressful enough with how expensive it was to live in, Frisk determined to make it on their own without help from their...mother. But the entirety of the latter subject was what caused most of Frisk’s life problems. Their mom was an interesting person, to say the least. 

She was a total manipulative and sadistic person to say the most. 

Frisk’s entire situation with their mother was mostly why they felt the need to just get out. So, they packed up their necessities and all the money they had and booked in to the cheapest place they found as far away as possible with an available job. 

And that’s how, two years later, they found a home. 

The dawn sun filtered through Frisk’s bedroom window in a peaceful atmosphere. Their room, the only furniture being a dresser, desk and slightly broken chair, bookshelf, and a bed without a frame, was rather comfortable to be in. Compared to the resto of their apartment, with white walls and dark wood floors, cleaned and polished to every shelf and cabinet, was the exact opposite of their room. The walls were a pale green, covered with various posters of constellations and star charts (some made by Frisk themselves.) The carpet was a tan that clashed slightly with the green but oddly worked a bit. Fairy lights were hung all across the room, setting the room into a snug glow. A tapestry of a galaxy sky was pinned to the ceiling above their bed, which had floral themed sheets and blankets. There was a slightly overflowing laundrey basket by the closet door and Frisk cringed at the thought of having barely any clothes left. 

Frisk kept their room clean like the rest of the apartment, yes, but it had more clutter and warmth. Pens and graph papers were scattered on the desk and a few books had been taken out of their order on the bookshelf and set on the desk. The window by their bed had a ledge outside for small succelent plants to be kept. It had more life and was Frisk’s favorite part of their apartment. 

Usually, on mornings like this, Frisk would be getting ready for work at the Barrier Diner, the local restaurant ran by one Angelo Farina. The retro styled diner was a comfort place of sorts, the vivid colors blinding yet grounding and the Angelo’s cooking warming them when Frisk was having a very bad mental day. The man himself, big and tall with a hard expression, was actually soft and cared for his workers like they were his children. There were days, the worst ones, when it was just Frisk and Angelo hanging out in the diner after close that they would ramble and fall into a panic attack. Angelo would just rub their back and tell them to name off antiques on the wall of the decorated diner. There was always something new that they would notice after calming down. Sometimes they’d ask stories about the few mounted relics that belonged to the black haired man. Sometimes he’d share in his raspy voice, eyes growing distant in fond memories. Sometimes, he’d grow a few more wrinkles and would simply say “Not today,” staring off into a past storm. These days he looked a bit older. 

Angelo was more of a parent to Frisk then their own mother. Or, well more of a quiet but caring uncle. He was a very important person to Frisk, one of the first friends they had made when moving, and they would drop anything for him. That’s part of the reason they think they work so much at the diner; no breaks or vacations and only Saturday off. Even then they sometimes clock in. Angelo told them it was because of “past trauma from their mom ingrained, saying to be productive or be useless, please seek therapy Frisk” but Frisk likes to think they’re just a good friend. 

So it was a very strange feeling to wake up on a Monday morning and not get ready for work. 

Angelo made a petition at the diner, called “Frisk Takes A Week Off Or We Riot” and managed to not only get the other two prominent workers, Isaac and Mae, to sign but every single regular. Ms. Clementine, Mr. Fogwart, even the cranky old man that lived on the edge of town who no one seems to know the name of. They tried arguing it, but Angelo has a talent of winning arguments with valid points and plenty of evidence. 

_“You had two panic attacks this week and your anxiety is getting worst. Take a break.”_

It wasn’t long before they were promptly shoved out of the diner with a whole week of nothing to do but “self-care”, as Mae put it in her cheery, teenager voice. 

It wasn’t until Isaac came over to her apartment later that faithful Saturday, when Frisk was suddenly handed a week off, that they had a plan. The man, who was almost an inch shorter than a 5’4” Frisk and the butt of many short jokes (which, in turn, made Frisk the butt of many New York Italian mobster jokes even though their accent wasn’t that strong), came in with “Angelo Left-Overs” as the staff calls leftover food from the diner. Isaac had very light eyes that contrasted very dark skin with black ink covering his arms and beaded necklaces on every day, made by his daugter, who he talked about almost every other minute. That Saturday, he had pink and blue bead as around his neck. 

They sat on the couch and watched trashy shows while he showed Frisk a pamphlet. “Hiking?” They asked, raising an unimpressed eyebrow. 

“No, you dumb. Look,” he said, pointing on the mountain scenery that was the advertisement pamphlet with big red letters saying ‘SAVEE’. Specifically, the smaller one that peaked behind the main focused mountain. “That mountain, right there.” 

Frisk cocked their head in confusion. “The one behind Mt. Ebott?” 

“See, that’s what they tell you. That big mountain with all the pretty flowers and safety fences, that’s what SAVEE wants you to think. They say their big on honesty and keeping the enviornment safe for the people, but they’re totally covering up the truth.” 

It was believable, SAVEE was a pretty sketchy organization. They were government funded and their headquarters sat on the outskirts of town. No one actually knew they’re purpose, or what the acronym of their name meant, but they hosted a lot of nature tours on the various mountains that surrounded Ebott Town. Other than that, it was just rumors about what they were actually set up for. They were pretty old, too, dating back to when Ebott Town was created, which made them all the more mysterious. 

Isaac pointed to the smaller mountain again. “ _That’s_ Mt. Ebott. Not the big, advertizable friendly mountain they give lame tours on.” 

Frisk hummed in interest. “And if it is, what’s that gotta’ do with me?” 

Isaac smiled. “Well...legend says there’s a breathtaking view if the night sky at any ledge on the mountain. And you are a pretty space-y person, so…” he shrugged. 

_Astronomer_ , they corrected in their head. But they were too invested at that moment. Frisk wasn’t an official astronomer, no. They never went to any classes or got any degrees. They were a high school drop-out, honestly considering it. But they self-studied and explored. They had a telescope, many different star charts (and some bad self-made ones), a whole shelf dedicated to astronomy books and theories...Frisk was very interested in the sky. 

And true enough, when Frisk went investigating the following Sunday, the ancient library revealed a book on the history of the real Mt. Ebott. A small dormant volcano that was the building block of many local myths and did, in fact, have a great view. There was supposedly a hidden ledge on the higher part of the mountain called “Freedom Ledge” that had the clearest view. 

At one point during their short research session, Mr. Fogwart, the librarian, came up to them with a dusty book that had no name or author. A strange symbol sat on the cover. 

“If you’re interested in Mt. Ebott, well, try taking a look at this,” the old man said with a cryptic smile. 

Frisk had yet to take a look in it, as they were preparing for their sudden trip to the real Mt. Ebott on Monday. It was morning and would be hours until the sky darkened, but Frisk liked to be prepared early. They packed up their portable telescope and a few of the laminated star charts they had. A folder of graph paper and mechanical pencils in a black backpack. They shrugged as they decided to put the SAVEE pamphlet Isaac gave them in it as well. After eyeing the dusty book Mr. Fogwart gave them, they decided to add it as well. Their backpack was one of the big backpacks college students were lucky to get, a nice brand. They’d got it as a birthday gift from the staff at the diner. Each year, Frisk sewed a new patch on it. So far, it had a red, pixelated heart that resembled a retro video game style and a circle patch with the non-binary flag in it. 

They decided to dress comfortably but practical, since they were hiking up a blocked off mountain. A simple blue and magenta striped shirt tucked into their nice high-waisted shorts (the only clean pants they had, their new shorts, which sucked) and their black, leather hiking boots. They had dark gray, almost black, socks that came up snug on their knees. A comfort to protect their skin from the scraping of leather boots against skin and a chance to show off their love of weird socks...to no one, since they’d be by themselves. And finally, their favorite jacket; a thick and warm jacket that Frisk learned was colored mauve, and not “weird purple”, as told by Mae. It was still a little big on them after years of owning it. 

As they stared in the mirror, Frisk noted how long their hair had gotten over the two years they’ve lived in Ebott. Living in New York, under the constant eye of their mother no matter where they ran away to in the big city, they were told to keep clean and neat, including their hair. Once, the thick brown hair had been straightened every day and kept short, just below their ears. Now, it was down to their chest and a bit wavy, their natural hair. Like most days they looked in the mirror, they comb through their hair in wonder, still amazed at how little freedom they really had back in New York. They shrugged it off, though, pulling a little bit of it into a small side half-up that hung in the air. It was wild how gravity-breaking their hair was sometimes. Mae called it “anime hair”. 

Frisk stayed in front of the mirror a bit longer, studying themselves. There was a bit more roundness in their cheeks, evidence of an actual proper diet being introduced in their life. Though there were still heavy blue bags under their eyes, which seemed almost closed because of how much they squint, they seemed a bit lighter and alive. Their posture wasn’t as straight and uncomfortable, slowly becoming relaxed since living in Ebott Town. Frisk often found themselves in front of a mirror or window, noticing little details that showed how much of a change came over them after moving. 

Shaking themselves out of their thoughts, Frisk decided to nap until night fell. They had big plans, after all. 

* * *

Mt. Ebott was a bit smaller than the average mountain with many trees hiding it from the world. Their were metal fences all around the base with rusty “WARNING — KEEP OUT” signs all over. Broke security cameras were mounted on wooded poles. Whoever guarded the mountain before must had either given up or run out of materials to keep it impenetrable. 

Frisk threw a few miscellaneous objects at the fence, including a Naruto plushie, to make sure there wasn’t some sorts of secret electric wiring. After picking everything back up and pushing them into their backpack, they climbed the fence with ease and began walking up one of the many trails that, suprisingly, covered the ancient mountain. 

According to the book, titled “Ebott History and Guides To Flag Folding: A Multipurpose Book For Multipurpose People by Edwin Rotiart”, Freedom Ledge was the highest ledge on the mountain. There was an almost invisible but accessible trail that safely led to it. It was very odd how a supposedly empty mountain was blocked off but still had many worn trails and rotted wooden benches. It was almost eerie how abandoned but lively the enviornment was. 

It took around half an hour to reach Freedom Ledge, but it was worth it. Isaac was not only right about the mystery of the place, but also the view. The ledge itself was earthy with a huge patch of grass, cleared of any trees. There were no city lights in miles, this far away from the already secluded Ebott Town, so the sky was full of stars and constellations, as if it was a fabriced pattern of a night sky. Cool tones of purple and dark blue, tinted with the inky blackness of space, was the background for millions of dots that decorated the sky. 

Frisk stood for a moment, awed by the sight. They had never seen a sky so clear. 

And then they noticed the cave behind them. 

It made them jump a little, because who forgets to mention a huge cave that could have mountain lions or...something in it!? The froze for a second before carefully taking their flashlight out of their backpack. They shined the bright light into the cave and saw...nothing. Because it was barely a cave at all. While the cave entrance was huge, it only went a couple feet deep. There weren’t even bats as cave residents. The most in it were most likely rats and bug colonies. 

Sighing a breath of relief, Frisk layed out their blanket they brought and set up their telescope, affectionately named Tessa. They sat down, arranging their books and charts in a manageable pattern on the blanket. 

As they brought out the blank book, they paused. Maybe it was the mood the mystery mountain put them in or the fact that they had been curious to read about it since they received it from Mr. Fogwart. But there was something about sitting at the bases of an empty cave on a mountain with galaxies swirling in the sky that made Frisk want to read the book. 

They set it in their lap and opened it. It had illustrations on yellowed leather pages, but Frisk could tell it was not a children’s book. 

_“Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS._

_The two races lived together in harmony. All though strained, they maintained peace and love between them. Monsters, made of magic and emotion, ruled the Western Earth. Humans, made of water and strength, ruled the East Earth. Some villages throughout the Earth even had mixed populations._

_One day, war broke out between the two races._

_The finale of the war took place atop a mountain in West Earth. After a long battle, the Humans were victorious._

_They sealed the Monsters underground with a magic spell of their own._

_The mountain, a prison to one and a shield to another, is said to make those who climb it disappear.”_

Turning the last page, Frisk sat in silence. 

Although short and vague, it made Frisk feel very...sad. It was impossible to describe why or how, but the sudden and abrupt war and imprisonment of the Monsters in the tale was so… 

They couldn’t describe the story. So they put it back into their backpack, the zipper echoing in the emptiness that now seemed lonely instead of peaceful. And in the corner of their, they saw movement. 

Frisk’s head shot up and they jumped, still holding their back pack, at the sight of the back view of a person. The dark obscured most of their features, but Frisk could make out an oversized green sweater and short ginger hair. 

Frisk got their flashlight out of their side pocket and turned it on. “Hello? Are you ok?” 

The person said nothing and continued to stand, back towards Frisk. Then, they suddenly moved, walking towards the cave entrance. It was as if the shadows moved with them, covering their features. 

“Um...are you lost? Do you want me to call someone?” It occurred to Frisk that _oh God, is this a ghost, is that legend true, am I going to die?_

As the darkness of the cave swallowed the stranger, Frisk carefully walked into the cave, securing their backpack on them. If it was a real person, they might need medical attention, and Frisk did have an emergency first aid kit. But it was as if the person had completely disappeared. 

“Hey, are you there—“ 

And Frisk was immediately cut off by a sudden drop. 

Because the cave wasn’t empty. It never was. On the surface of it, it didn’t go that far. But on the ground, well...there was none. Because a huge hole stood inside the cave, an endless depth of nothing. 

And Frisk fell right into it, losing consciousness.


	2. Wonderland

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk wakes up and discovers a strange, not-so-new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again lovely readers.  
> This chapter is a bit short. Sorry about that.  
> But here we go! Our start to Frisk’s journey in the Underground.  
> Also, so sorry. I used google translate for some Italian in this chapter. I tried my best to be accurate and i am so sorry if it offends anyone. Please tell me if there are any corrections if you are fluent in the language.  
> Any feedback is welcomed! Please comment if you notice any spelling/grammar mistakes.  
> You can find me on Instagram and Tumblr @astrullaby (I’m mostly on insta tho)  
> -Chapter Title Reference: Wonderland by Caravan Palace

_The grave in front of Frisk seemed almost unreal. As if it was just a Halloween decoration someone simply forgot to put away._

_But that was impossible, because Mother didn’t allow such holidays._

_The name that decorated the grave made Frisk's heart break every time, so they avoided it as much as possible. But it was inevitable that they eventually saw it._

‘Leonardo Flores’ 

_And Frisk sobbed, quietly. The sounds that did manage to come out were muffled by their black sleeve. Mother didn’t like. Loud noises like crying, but how could they not break at the sight of the grave. It was a marking, a reminder, of the abrupt loss that tore a gaping hole in Frisk’s heart._

_No more warm smiles in the mornings before Mother woke up. No more midnight snacks of left over food from the night before. No more baking cannolis or pasta or tiramisu that was handed down generations before._

_No more joy in the house._

_“Francesca. È ora di andare.”_

_Frisk shook their head. Because_ he _would have gently comforted Frisk with his nickname for them, and hugged them, and told them everything wouldn’t be alright but it would be ok, because they would be together._

_They weren’t together though._

_“Francesca! Ce ne stiamo andando!”_

_They felt Mother tug at their arm roughly and tears flooding down their face and panic in their mind because they didn’t want to leave him. Not yet._

“Subito!” 

_They let themselves be dragged always by their Mother, who looked impatient and bored in her perfect dress and makeup and bun. Frisk felt anything but perfect. They felt destroyed and broken. Empty._

_It was a sunny day when Frisk’s Papa was buried, never to see the night stars he loved so much again. Because death was cruel in that way, to not even have him has his final rest under the endless peace of the galaxy and instead to lay him in the burning heat of the sun._

_Frisk decided then that they would see the stars as much as possible for Papa, since no one else would._

* * *

It wasn’t the flickering beam of the flashlight that woke Frisk up, but a ray of sunlight. 

As they blinked slowly into consciousness, their blurry vision cleared and they squinted up at the far light above them. Mind blank, the only thing that floated through their head was ‘what a lovely spot to rest.’ 

And then the memories flooded back and Frisk shot up with a gasp. 

The first thing they did was immediately pat their body and make sure they were actually alive and not dreaming. When they confirmed that they were indeed alright, they looked around curiously to see where they were most likely trapped, trying hard not to panic too much. Panic would get them no where. 

Looking down, they saw what broke their fall; a huge bed of golden flowers, soft and silky to the touch. Frisk recognized them instantly. While they didn’t know their scientific name, the people of Ebott Town called them “mercy blooms” because of their impossibly pillow-like softness. The older folks simply called them golden flowers. The plants were the town’s signature flower, appearing on it’s flag and several other insignias. However, they were extremely rare and most were in possession of SAVEE for “persevering their life”. So Frisk was very suprised and confused to see so many mercy blooms growing at the bottom of a cavern. 

_Wait, cavern?_

Frisk slowly stood to their feet, brushing a few stray petals of them, and slowly turned in circles as they observed the area around them. What they originally thought was a hole in a cave turned out to be a huge stretch of a cavern, seemingly endless in the darkness that grew away from the sunlight that peeked from the cavern’s entrance. How they missed the narrow ends of it on the mountain top, they don’t know. Granted it was dark out when they snuck up to the ledge. Frisk cringed at the thought of leaving their precious telescope up on the surface, alone and vulnerable to foreign hands. 

_I’ll avenge you, Tessa...If anyone touches you, I’ll avenge you…_

Frisk sighed and picked up their now broken flashlight. It gave one final, sad whimper of a blink before turning off entirely. They patted the flashlight with fondness, silently honoring it’s determination before putting it in their slightly dirty backpack. 

They pondered if they should stay and wait for help or check out their surroundings. While they were naturally curious to see what lay at the end of the cavern and it’s endless shadows, they knew from many documentaries that the safest option was to stay out and wait for help. And while their phone had no service, it was suprisingly intact (along with their body). 

Frisk throughout that logic and decided that they were more curious than smart. 

They walked onward, noticing a strange stone path that was worn. It was suprisingly light, and Frisk noticed why. Ahead of them was a large archway of magenta stone, lanterns on both sides that emitted an impossibly bright flame, as if it was magic. A strange insignia was carved on the arch that oddly tugged at Frisk’s memory. 

Walking through the arch cautiously, they continued. In a more empty room, if that’s what the spaces could be called, stood a single mercy bloom. Frisk smiled sadly at how lonely it seemed. 

And then immediately stopped in their tracks. Because the flower had a face. A creepy, smiley face. 

There was a tense second of silence as Frisk stared in a mix of awe and shock at the flower. Said plant...giggled. 

“Howdy! I’m Flowey the Flower! Boy, it sure had been some time since a human fell down into the Underground! Golly, you must be so confused.” 

Frisk pushed their shock back into their head along with their panic from falling. Again, best to just keep moving forward instead of freaking out. They took a slow strep forward and stared down at Flowey. “Uh...yeah. I’m a bit confused…” 

Flowey gave a child-like giggles. Something about the flower gave Frisk chills. His smile was too fake. 

“Well, good thing lil’ old me is here! I’ll show you the rules of the Underground,” Flowey chirped in a too cheerful voice. 

The world around Frisk suddenly blinked and turned black and white. Frisk gasped at the sudden shift. It hurt their eyes a bit. The only color from the world came from a small, red heart that floated mere centimeters away from their chest. Staring at it made them a bit dizzy but warm at the same time. The scarlet hue was bright and gave off a sense of self-assurance. Frisk thought they could describe the feeling of looking at it as a more comforting version of hugging themselve in their warm bed. 

Looking up, Frisk saw a flash of a concerning look on Flowey’s face. He looked suprised, but eager. Hungry, almost, staring at the heart. It only lasted a second though, and his smiley face was put back on the moment Frisk’s gaze turned back to him. 

“See that little heart? That’s your Soul! The culmination of your being!” 

Frisk was startled out of any thought they had. Their _soul_? Frisk wouldn’t call themselves a skeptic, but coming face-to-face, or face-to-heart, with their literal soul was a bit… 

“Well this is a _soul-shocker_ ,” Frisk said without thought. They were used to saying lame jokes around their co-workers to get a laugh or a sigh. It was natural to do it in a stressful, new experience. 

Flowey’s face remained in a frozen smile, eyes twitching in irritation. “Hah...right...anyways…” 

Flowey winked, which Frisk thought was a particularly strong eye twitch at first, and small, white bullets surrounded Frisk. Their suspicions of the flower only grew. 

“Your Soul starts off weak but can grow stronger by gaining LV, or LOVE! And down here, LOVE is shared through...little...white…” Flowey looked away. “Friendliness pellets! Yeah, let’s go with that…” 

Frisk felt cold dread spilling down their spine. They were sure that this flower was tricking them now, but considering that he had a severe upper hand (well, vine), they weren’t sure what the best course of action was. They had some self-defense skills, but it was obvious that wouldn’t really be too effective against a flower. And it seemed this Underground world had it’s own combat system...like a game. 

“Are you ready to begin?” Flowey asked impatiently. 

“Well, not really—“ 

“Great! Move around, get as many as you can!” 

Pure survival instincts kicked in and Frisk dodged the bullets with ease. They looked back at the flower with apprehension. Said plant’s eyes twitched once again. 

“Hey, _buddy_ , you missed. Let’s just...try this…” he trailed off, studying Frisk and their glare for a moment. There were a few seconds of tense silence, both of them analyzing each other. 

Flowey’s face suddenly turned demonic as he surrounded Frisk with more bullets, this time with no exit. He cackled loudly. “You know what, NO! You obviously know what’s going on, don’t you!? You just want to see me _suffer_!” His face became more distorted and the noice of his screeching laugh sent fear down Frisk’s spine. 

_“DIE!”_

And as the bright pellets of death slowly started to surround Frisk until they were mere millimeters away, death inching closer and closer as Flowey laughed away, Frisk had two things going through their head; 1) how terrifying it was that they were going to die with none of their friends knowing where they went or what happened to them, and 2) how depressing it was that said tragic, mysterious death was at the hands of a fucking flower. 

Frisk screwed their eyes shut, arms covering their head as they waited for their doom...That never came. They peaked an eye open and saw the bullets gone and a fire ball bowling towards Flowey, who was equally shocked. 

Flowey let out a startled cry as the flames sent him flying from the ground, far away in the distance. The black and white world flashed away and Frisk had to rumb their temples to stop a headache from coming. 

And then a goat talked to them. 

“What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth.” The goat looked more closely at Frisk, golden eyes squinting. The lady wore a dress with a royal purple color and white sleeves that blended in with her stark white fur. In the center of the dress, in a patch of a darker shade of purple, was strange symbol that Frisk recognized from the archway before. Small horns grew from her head. The goat lady was actually very pretty, in an elegant yet humble looking way. Like a Disney princess. 

Frisk sighed in disappointment. They weren’t _that_ short. “I’m, um…an adult. Or, well…” 

Frisk looked up at the goat lady, who was a good couple inches taller than Frisk. “I mean, I guess I am on the younger side, but I’m a semi-functioning adult.” 

“Oh! Well, what a suprise. I don’t believe I’ve met an adult human in a good century!” 

Ignoring the fact that the stranger was implied to be over one hundred years old, Frisk gave a friendly laugh. “Well, glad to refresh your memory. Hey…I don’t know where I am, actually. Can you maybe, um….” 

The lady’s eyes lit up. “Yes, yes, of course! Where are my manners! I am Toriel, caretaker of the Ruins. You are a very long way from home…” 

“Frisk.” 

Toriel smiled. “Frisk, what a lovely name. The Underground can be a dangerous place for a human. But do not worry! I’ll take care if you from here!” 

As Frisk followed Toriel through a second archway, they asked something that was on their mind since they ran into Flowey. “So, is the Underground...where monsters live?” 

Frisk couldn’t see Toriel but could tell her face twisted in pain. “Yes. It’s been a long time since monsters have seen the surface. The pain of being trapped down here, slowly losing hope has corrupted some even…” 

Toriel drifted off in thought. Frisk recognized the silence well, often being the one spiraling down a rabbit hole of bad thought. Fortunately, they found a change in subject when they entered what was the Ruins. Magenta bricks and piles of vivid red leaves surrounded Frisk’s vision. 

“This place is beautiful…” Frisk commented, slowing down to appreciate the ancient walls. Vines grew wildly in some spots, contrasting well with the warmth of the walls and leaves. 

Toriel chuckled. “That’s one way to put it. The Ruins crumble a bit more very day, but it is true that they have a certain beauty to them.” 

As Toriel climbed a large staircase, Frisk noticed a glow from a nearby pile of leaves. Curious, they moved towards it, almost in a trance. It was almost as if a star had fallen from the sky into the Underground, golden and shining. It appeared only Frisk could see the sparkle. A surge of bravery rushed through Frisk as they reached a hand to it. 

The moment their fingers brushed the star, an overwhelming sensation took over Frisk. Their blood rushed and their heart pounded. They felt determined. 

And a little weirded out, because a screen appeared in their vision. 

It was as if their eyes were mini monitors that displayed digital screens. Wherever Frisk looked, the screen followed. The screen itself had text on it. 

_SAVE?_

_Save Return_

For a brief moment, Frisk thought the screen was mentioning the SAVEE of Ebott Town. After they realized it was missing an ‘E’, they slowly pushed ‘Save’, thinking about how strange it was that the Underground worked on video game rules. 

_Frisk LV 1_

_Ruins - Entrance_

_File saved._

Talking flowers, monsters being real, century old goats...and now Save points. Frisk was supirsed at themselves for taking all this remarkably well. In a moment of dark thought, they wondered if dying would send them back here. 

“Frisk? Are you alright?” 

They shook themselves from their thoughts, jogging up the stairs to catch up with Toriel. “Yeah, sorry. Just a lot to take in.” They gave a genuine smile. True, this whole experience was strange and a bit traumatic, but they made a new friend (hopefully). And the Ruins were beautiful but smelled of a good adventure. As Toriel showed them how puzzles worked in the Ruins and idly chatted happily with them, Frisk opened up more and more. They were wary at first, fearing Toriel would suddenly turn on them like Flowey and burn them to a crisp. 

Toriel laughed as Frisk described their friends on the surface; Angelo’s not-so-subtle parenting of his staff, Isaac’s weird humor and endless stories of his daughter, Mae’s monthly hair dye (the latest was flaming orange). Frisk commented at one point that Angelo and Toriel would be good friends. 

Toriel seemed a little downcast at that. “It’s a nice thought. I suspect that all your wonderful friends will be long gone by time I’m able to meet them, though,” she trailed off. In the short amount of time Frisk knew Toriel, they noticed she seemed to get lost in thought a lot. Wading through muddy memories and bad experiences. The expression she makes when she does that, so lost and vulnerable and tired, reminded Frisk of Angelo so much. 

It was then that Frisk decided that maybe...the Underground was worth exploring more. Worth meeting it’s inhabitants more. 

Frisk wondered what else the place had in store for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> Looks like we got a lil backstory this time. Frisk’s adventure has officially started!  
> Any feedback is welcome. Please comment if you see any spelling/grammar mistakes.  
> You can find me on Instagram and Tumblr @astrullaby (I’m mostly on insta tho)


	3. Ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk learns about the world they’re stuck in and gets more questions than answers about the surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people.  
> Sorry for slow updates. Like i said, i sometimes my mental state can really discourage me from writing and i have work. But your comments really motivate me!  
> Not sure how i feel about this chapter. Any feedback is welcome! Please comment if you see any spelling/grammar mistakes and I’ll fix them.  
> You can find me on Instagram @astrullaby (the same for tumblr but I’m never on it. Plz go to my insta if you wanna find me.)  
> Enjoy!  
> -Chapter Title Reference: Ghost by Mystery Skulls

“Practice talking to the dummy.” 

Words Frisk never thought they would hear in their life. The simple training dummy stared at them with an innocence that could rival a newborn bunny. Frisk stepped forward, entering a Fight, as Toriel explained to them. The world blinked into a monotone setting once more and the dummy faced Frisk without defense. Granted, Frisk had no defense themselves, but at least they had tough skin. 

Toriel’s voice seemed echoed due to her not being part of the Fight, as if they were a few feet apart in a big, echoey room and not a single foot apart in a small room of rumbled ruins. “In a Fight, there are four options you can do. You can, well, FIGHT, causing damage and harm to your opponent. This is not out goal, however, so please...try to avoid FIGHTing to the best of your ability. You can use an ITEM, allowing a turn for healing or status boosts. You can ACT, defeating your opponent with words rather than weapons. Go on, try striking up. A friendly conversation with the dummy.” 

Frisk shrugged and looked at the peaceful dummy. “Nice day today, huh?” 

… 

The dummy did not seem pleased. Not much for conversation…. 

Frisk could hear a muddled laugh. “The final thing you can do in a Fight is MERCY. You can either Flee from the fight, or…” 

Frisk caught on quick and nodded. It was confusing but also simple in a Fight. While there were no physical buttons to press, it was as if when entering a Fight, some part of your mind shifted and created mental buttons. Frisk either thought of ACTing or MERCY, then did whichever, and the battle acknowledged it as Frisk’s turn. And then the opponent did the same. It was a strange sensation, but one that sent adrenaline racing through their veins. Frisk understood why a monster would enjoy Fights, even if all they did was ACT. 

Smiling at the dummy, Frisk Spared it. 

The Fight ended and Toriel clapped in satisfaction. “You catch on quite quickly, Frisk!” 

Frisk smiled bashfully. “Ah, well...it sounds difficult on paper to understand but it’s pretty easy to grasp when you experience it.” 

Toriel guided Frisk further into the Ruins. They noticed her glancing at Frisk, wanting to ask a question. Many questions. 

“If you have a question, I’m fine with answering it.” 

Toriel straightened her back, furry cheeks tinted red, somehow. She seemed a bit sheepish. Or, goatish. “Oh, no, I do apologize for staring, I just—“ 

Frisk smiled kindly. “It’s alright. Ask away!” After all the humble woman had done to help them, Frisk could handle a few questions. Especially for someone who had been stuck living underground for years. 

The goat woman beamed at Frisk’s enthusiasm before looking down at the bricked road they slowly strolled down. Gaining back a bit reluctance, Toriel almost whispered her question. “Do you happen to know...or remember anyone by the name of Chara? Or anyone related to such?” 

A chill went down Frisk’s spine the moment the name left the monster’s lips. Of course, Frisk has never heard of a person named that, or knew anyone in Ebott Town who knew of a Chara. But when the name was uttered, it was as if it summoned a breeze of cold air. The shock of the cold made Frisk pause. 

Toriel mistook their suprised for disturbance. “I-I apoligize deeply, I have upset you. It was a silly thought to begin with.” 

Frisk shook themselves and reassured Toriel, “No, no it’s alright. I was just a little caught off guard with the question. I—“ Frisk shivered again as another slight breeze, ice cold, pushed right against their back. They were glad they decided to bring their jacket to the mountain. “I don’t think I ever heard of someone named Chara.” 

Toriel’s eyes lost their anticipation. She looked simultaneously saddened and relieved. “I understand. I only ask becauese I…knew of a human who looked a bit like you. Especially your eyes, they’re very similar to them…” 

As the woman trailed off in though once again and an even stronger gust of icy air crawled down their neck, Frisk automatically started to twirl their hair. It was a reflex when they were anxious or self-conscious, which were emotions often arising when the topic of their eyes came up. 

Scarlet eyes, vibrant as fresh blood and the very last image of a setting sun. Mother always despised them. Frisk remembers many memories of doctor appointments and meeting with specialists after papa’s funeral, Mother finally being free of his protectiveness of Frisk. Many came to the same conclusion of some type of albinism that only effected their eyes. Some couldn’t come to any conclusion at all. 

Frisk never cared why or what caused their eyes to be such a dark red. They always just wanted different colored irises. Like papa’s golden brown eyes, rich like syrup and filled with sweetness. After a particularly bad experience at school and with Mother, they decided they’d even take Mother’s sharp and cunning minty green eyes over what classmates called “stalker eyes” and what Mother called “Devil’s eyes”. 

Frisk was sure they could wear Mother’s eyes much better than her. 

Being so caught up in their head, Frisk never noticed the small, white creature jump at them and enter a Fight. The blinking of black and white flashed before them, pushing them out of their spiral of thoughts. 

***Froggit attacks you!**

The voice, high pitched and with a hidden laugh underneath the words, came from behind Frisk. They swerve around quickly, but saw no one there. 

Turning their attention back to the Froggit, Frisk debated their options. They decided to CHECK the Froggit first. 

Words appeared in their mind, almost like text. Their was no voice accept for their own that narrorate their thoughts, like reading a book that was written in their head. 

_ATK 4 DEF 5_

_Life is difficult for this enemy._

Frisk sighed. “Same, little buddy.” 

The Froggit cocked it’s head in confusion before sending fly-shaped bullets _flying_ Frisk’s way. Frisk laughed silently at their joke as they easily dodged the attack since no one else would be able to hear it. 

Distracted by their amazing humor, Frisk missed a step and stumbled. They ran into a bullet and felt a hot pain against their arm where they were hit. Bringing a hand up to it, they discovers a very thin slash in their jacket that was barely noticeable, but no wound. How did the attack hurt them then? 

Seemed they still have more to learn about the battle system of the Underground. 

Before the Fight could continue, Toriel managed to get through into the battle and shoo the Froggit away. It looked a bit guilty as she sent it away. Frisk huffed in amusement. 

As the world gained color back, Toriel scanned her eyes over Frisk hurriedly. “Oh, I apologize deeply for that. You are not hurt, are you?” 

Frisk rubbed their arm, more confused than in pain. “One of the bullets grazed me, but, uh, there’s no wound?” 

Toriel looked as if she wanted to immedietly sit Frisk down and patch what little damage was don up, but was content knowing they were alright. “Well, magic is a very different thing then ordinary physical weapons. Attacks damage your Soul, not your physical form, becuase, well… Monsters have no physical forms. Not like humans, at least.” 

Frisk hummed in thought. “So does that mean your made of magic than? Magic harms magic-made beings more than physical beings while physical weapons are more effective against physical beings, like humans. But that doesn’t necessarily mean neither are invisible against the other, it just means they have a natural stronger defense against each other…” 

Frisk suddenly realized they were thinking our loud and blushed in embarrassment. How rude they were being, Toriel probably thought they were crazy. Looking up, they saw Toriel’s eyes wide. 

“S-sorry. I just—It’s just really interesting, y’know? A whole other system of living made by a whole other species. Hah…” Frisk tugged at their hair as Toriel blinked slowly. 

“No, it’s just...you catch on extremely fast with everything down here. You’re right in that humans have a natural defense against magic but Monsters are different in that aspect. Monsters are actually also more defensive against magic. Physical attacks are stronger than magic, no matter what species. But, your conclusion makes sense.” She smiled “You’re a very intelligent person, Frisk.” 

_Oh._ They tugged a bit harder at their hair, blush spreading through their face quickly. “No, no, not really. I mean— I just really think— I’m not—“ 

Toriel smiled warmly at them, gently taking their hands into her own furry paw-like hands. “You think too lowly of yourself, dear. It’s a shame no one has noticed your mind yet.” 

Frisk stared up. They had no words. So instead, they gave a small smile at the compliment. 

Toriel stood straighter, content with Frisk’s smile. She weaved an arm through one of Frisk’s as they continued further into the Ruins, almost skipping with delight. “Now then! Onwards, dear friend! There is a puzzle up ahead that I’ll guide you through.” 

* * *

Toriel was now on Frisk’s “Definetely Trust List”. 

The woman had become a great friend during the short time they’ve been together. She was one of the kindest people Frisk had ever met and had many stories to tell of memories of the surface. Apparently, she had been just a little kid at the time—Frisk said this one out loud, which produced a loud howl of laughter from Toriel. Another lover of dad jokes, Frisk was happy to learn. Toriel described running in fields of wildflowers and swimming in mountain streams, playing with other monster children. She told the stories with such a sad, nostalgic tone that made Frisk’s heart hurt. 

“I remember one day, running through the woods on the outskirts of the village. We were told never to go in them, for humans lurked and hunted Monsters. This was near the end of the war. I tore one of my favorite striped dresses and begged for my mother to fix it afterwords. Oh, how livid she was! Here I was, running around in dangerous areas and all I was worried about was a silly Striped!” The woman laughed at the memory. 

Frisk laughed along. Toriel, although careful and patient, was naturally curious and adventurous. Frisk paused for a second as they thought about the words. “Striped?” 

Toriel finished her laugh and wiped a tear away. “Oh, silly me! I should explain that so you aren’t startled when mistaked for a child. Monster youths wear stripes to indicate they are children. It can be difficult to tell age by appearances with Monsters becuase of how diverse we are. Back then, we called children clothes Striped for short.” Toriel huffed a breath and rolled her eyes. “Nowadays, young people have taken to call them ‘Streakers’. What a silly name!” 

Frisk would argue that both names are a bit silly, but decided to stay silent. They looked down at their own striped shirt sadly. They suppose they’d have to change fashion choices to not be mistaken as a child constantly. 

They startled themselves at the implication of a future with Monsters. Of course they wanted desperately to help them, but how? 

Staring off into space, Frisk hardly noticed when Toriel became solemn and quiet. Her voice caught them off guard. “Frisk. I would like to ask a question about the surface, if you wouldn’t mind.” 

Noticing her shift in demeanor, Frisk spoke softly. “Of course.” 

Toriel took a deep breath. “Do….Do humans remember us?” 

Her voice was so small and anxious. Ironically, it reminded Frisk of a child, even though the woman was over one hundred years old. But they suppose, growing up in a war and then being forced into an underground prison, no one would have time to be a child. Frisk realized how much growing up Toriel must have had to do in such a short amount of time. 

Much like Frisk themselves. 

As Frisk started to prepare for their disappointing answer, they suddenly remembered something. 

_The book._

Frisk hurriedly took off their backpack and snatched the book out, much to Toriel’s confusion. Frisk flipped it to the front and Toriel gasped at the symbol that covered the book. 

“The Delta Rune?” 

Frisk eagerly looked up. “You know what this is?” 

The woman nodded, eyes sparked with curiousity. “It’s the symbol for the Monster Kingdom. But… how… ?” 

“It’s a story book,” Frisk said, flipping through the pages. Most were ambiguous shadows of figures depicting events and places, the actual words being sparse throughout. “I… I was given it by the librarian in town.” 

_That’s_ why Frisk had such a strong sense of recognition when they saw the symbol on the Ruins entrance. Because they’ve seen it before. 

“Humans… don’t really remember monsters. Not anymore. I don’t know why or how such a large history could be erased. But maybe,” Frisk looked up and smiled gently at Toriel, “maybe someone out there knows. And is desperate for everyone else to remember.” 

Frisk kept there inner thoughts and questions that ran fast through their mind quite as Toriel returned the hopeful grin. Why did Mr. Fogwart have this book and why did it seem like he knew _something_ when he gave it to them? Who wrote the book and why? Who erased the history of Monsters? Did SAVEE know something about Monsters? 

Frisk pushed their curiousity and suspicions back to their mind, focusing on the present. Those could be addressed later. 

Frisk put the book back into their bag as the mood lightened and they reached the end of the hallway, Toriel stopped and turned to them. “I must attend to some business. I trust you, Frisk. You are capable and independent, but the rest of the Ruins are a bit more dangerous than the beginning. I ask you stay here and wait until I return. Will that be ok?” 

Frisk was a bit disappointed at having their walk end. And the thought of waiting for an unknown amount of time with nothing to do made Frisk antsy. But they understood that they were in a completely new world and needed a guide throughout it. So they nodded and took out their cellphone to get Toriel’s number in case of an emergency before realizing they had no idea if such technology existed in the Underground. 

“Ah, wonderful! You already have a cellphone! We shall give each other our numbers then.” 

Well, that solved that question. 

Toriel had an old looking flip phone that differed greatly from their smartphone. They didn’t judge though. Some people just preferred older models or just couldn’t afford anything too fancy. Besides, it’s not like there was a local Sprint store to go to for the newest model in the Underground. 

_Was there?_

As Toriel waved goodbye, Frisk shouted a “ _Cell_ you later” and giggled at the loud laugh of the goat woman. 

Toriel turned around, suprising Frisk with one of the most softest expressions they’ve ever seen a goat wear. 

“Thank you for showing me that, Frisk. It gave me… Hope,” Toriel said before they swiftly walked away. 

And then Frisk was alone. 

It wasn’t a bother at first. Frisk simply leaned against the wall and watched a couple episodes of a show they downloaded on their phone (thank any and all Gods they decided to download something once in their life). But as the seconds ticked off and the silence grew louder, spreading into their ears and drowning out their show, they suddenly felt not alone. 

They tapped their foot and tugged their hair. They paced. Their breathing got heavy and their vision blurred. They were doing fine, so far, so why now? The panic of falling and survinvg and being trapped somewhere completely new and different was staring to sink in and Frisk was shaking with panic. 

_It’s fine it’s fine it’s fine it’s fine I’m fine—_ Out. Frisk needed out. 

***Breath. In and out. In and out…**

Frisk hardly noticed the voice was back, desperate for something to grip to while they fell into a panic attack. While the words were similar to those Angelo said to them when they had a panic attack, the tone was different. Angelo was stern, but not cold. He never knew what it was like for Frisk, but the almost therapist-like clam that overtook him during those times grounded Frisk. The voice, however, seemed so sympathetic, like it knew exactly what Frisk was going through. It wasn’t pity that laced their instructions but understanding. Which helped Frisk immensely the more they focused on breathing and thought about the voice. 

When Frisk felt like they were back in their body, staring blankly at the magenta wall for a second to regain their composure, they turned to see, finally, the source of the voice that followed them. 

And was suprised it see another human. 

_No…_ they thought. _I’ve seen that sweater before._

Frisk gaped and pointed at the—ghost?—that lead them to the hole they fell down. 

“You—“ 

***—are a ghost? Not exactly.**

The two stared at each other for a second before the not-exactly-a-ghost sighed and sat next to Frisk, who didn’t even notice they were sitting. 

***If I’m going to be stuck with you… its seems introductions are in order.**

The other human turned slightly to Frisk. Their eyes widened when they stared back at equally scarlet eyes and short, ginger hair. A smile, wide and wicked but not necessarily cruel, greeted Frisk’s suprised look. 

***Greetings. I am Chara.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> So many mysteries and questions...Wonder what’ll happen...  
> I thought it would be interesting to write Tori as more of a big sister/friend to Frisk instead of a motherly figure. Frisk isn’t too keen on the idea of another parental figure in their life. They have Angelo, after all.  
> Any feedback is welcomed :)


End file.
